


The Devil's Backbone

by MotleyMoose



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Country AU, F/M, Fluffy Angst, Gen, Language, farm au, farming au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 13:30:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9183721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MotleyMoose/pseuds/MotleyMoose
Summary: Life had a way of providing Jody Mills with lemons, but she had always been too broke to make lemonade. Yet sometimes there are mistakes one can't afford not to make.





	

Farming is a thankless job.

From sunup to sundown, Jody Mills worked. There wasn't a day that went by when something didn't break down or escape. If a day did happen to pass by with nothing springing a leak or tearing down a fence, Jody would find herself sitting at the local bar early on in the evening, enjoying a watery beer and rambunctious company.

Those days were few and far between.

And, damn, did she need a beer.

Driving in the last staple, Jody straightened up, stretching out her stiff back and sore shoulders. "Fuuuck me," she groaned, gazing back at her handiwork. Fixing fence wasn't something she enjoyed, but at least it would keep the cows in, if even for a short time. Tucking the hammer under her arm, she shook off a glove, letting it fall into the fresh snow, and pulled out her phone. It was late, judging by how fast the sun was disappearing on the horizon, but not late enough for her to pack up and head inside to the warmth.

Sighing, Jody pulled her glove back on, grabbed the bucket of staples and tools, and trudged back toward the four-wheeler. The cows were starting to gather up around the cattle guard, mooing plaintively. She knew it was a long shot, but she fiercely hoped the tractor would start despite the cold. If not, she knew she'd be out way past dark finishing up chores.

 _I'm getting too damn old for this_ , she grumbled internally as she revved the ATV and bounced across the frozen pasture, a tally of the next day's work already forming in her mind.  
...............  
"You really need to hire somebody, girl." Donna handed Jody the corkscrew as she dug into the dishwasher for wine glasses. "You're going kill yourself trying to run everything on your own."

Popping the cork, Jody filled the glasses with Pinot Noir, handing one back to Donna. "I've been running it by myself since Bobby died. The only thing that's changed is I'm getting older."

Donna took a long sip of wine before biting into a chocolate chip cookie. "Yeah, well, everything else is getting older, too. You've spent half your time just trying to keep that old farm house from falling down around your ears!" She flicked crumbs off of her chest as they moved into the living room.

A fire was lit in the stove, and between the warmth and the wine, Jody could feel her defenses relaxing. She plopped into a recliner and pulled a brightly colored quilt over her lap. Donna's dog Jude got up from the rug in front of the stove and climbed into her lap. Scratching Jude behind the ears, Jody sighed heavily. "Okay, fine. Let's say I do need to hire someone." She paused, ruminating. "I can't pay much of anything, and I don't have time to train them how to run a tractor or do anything else farm-related."

Stretching her legs out on the couch, Donna nodded. "That knocks out teenagers and anyone from the city." She took another drink of wine, her brow furrowed. "Maybe someone retired? I think Marlene was wanting to get Rufus out of the house. And Ellen was saying she was going stir-crazy being cooped up with Jo over the holiday break. Surely one of them could help?"

Jody shook her head as she talked around a mouthful of cookie. "Couldn't pay either one of them enough. Besides, Ellen's got the bar now, and Rufus just had his shoulder replaced."

Rolling her eyes, Donna got up from the couch and went into the kitchen, returning with the bottle of wine and the plate of cookies. "You're just too damn stubborn." She topped off Jody's glass and emptied the rest of the bottle into her own.

Jude's head shot up when the backdoor banged open. "We're home!"

A tall, handsomely scruffy man trundled in with a toddler asleep on his shoulder and another trying desperately to push past him.

"C'mon, Dad! I'm freezing!" the boy whined as he ducked under Dean's arm and dashed into the living room. He launched himself at Donna, giggling as she blew a raspberry on his neck.

"Boots off the couch, Jax," Dean admonished quietly as he shifted the sleeping Ben in order to kick off his boots. The wiry preschooler grumbled under his breath as he stomped back to the door to take off his winter gear. Dean arched an eyebrow, giving Donna a knowing look. She tightened her lips in an effort to suppress a grin. Rolling his eyes, Dean padded across the living room and shooed Jax ahead of him. They disappeared down the hall, Jax trying to wheedle a later bedtime out of his dad, and Dean barely holding back his laughter as his eldest son continued to come up with excuses. Donna watched them go before turning back to Jody.

"His brother's back in town," she whispered, keeping an eye on the boys' bedroom door. "Got laid off at Boeing. Dean didn't even know he was in the area until Garth told him." Donna glanced back down the hallway, taking another swallow of wine. "Sam - he hasn't been in a good place in a while. Ever since Jess left..." She looked back over her shoulder and beamed. "Hey, toots."

Dean returned, dressed in a t-shirt and joggers, and dropped onto the couch next to Donna. He snagged the glass from her hand and finished off what little that remained. "Hey yourself. Need a refill?" He gave her a cocky grin, barely dodging a pillow as he pushed off the couch and shuffled into the kitchen for another bottle.

"Something a little sweeter, please!" she called after him before reaching for another cookie.

Jody watched her friends as they teased one another, a pang of emptiness sharp in her chest. Bobby had been gone for almost six years, but she still missed him. Memories of the way his eyes twinkled when he smiled, how warm and comfortable and engulfing his hugs were, the scratchy roughness of his beard on her neck... It was too much to bare. Attempting to hide the tears that were welling up in her eyes, Jody buried her face in Jude's dense fur, hoping Donna wouldn't notice.

Luckily, Donna was a little too good at drinking wine, and also too distracted with finding someone to work for Jody. "Hey hey hey, wait. That's it!" she exclaimed, taking the newly filled glass from Dean and curling up against him when he sat down again.

"What's it?" Dean quirked an eyebrow, glancing between the two women.

Donna slapped him playfully on the chest, sloshing a little bit of moscato on the blanket. "Sam! If he hasn't found anything yet, that is."

Dean's face turned dark for a moment as he gulped his drink. "What exactly are we talking about?"

Shifting Jude back to her lap, Jody explained, "Donna thinks I need a hand on the farm. Which I do, I guess. I can't quite keep up with everything like I use to."

Shaking his head, Dean set his mug down on the coffee table and leaned forward, causing Donna to slip sideways behind him. "Listen, Sam... he's a good kid. S'been rough since Jess left. He's - he's probably not the most reliable at the moment."

Donna had pulled herself up out of the cushions and was squeezing his shoulder. "Maybe working out there would help him clear his mind."

Snorting derisively, Dean leaned back into the couch, propping his feet on the coffee table. "He's broken, babe. Ain't nothing going to clear his head until he pulls it out of his ass."

Looking up at the clock above the wood stove, Jody stretched and gently dislodged the sleeping pooch. "Listen, you guys talk it over." She stood, ambling over to the pile of boots by the door, finding her own. "If you think he's a good fit, you've got my number. I gotta get going; Charlie said she be in early to take steers to the sale barn."

Donna got up and tripped over to Jody, giving her a big drunken hug. "I'll call you tomorrow, love." She pulled back, a goofy grin spread across her face.

Dean appeared beside her, looping an arm around Donna's shoulder. "C'mon, you lush. Let Jody get going."

Smiling, Jody bid farewell, and crunched across the frozen ground toward her rusted truck. It was always fun getting together with her old high school bestie, but sometimes Jody wished Donna wasn't so persuasive. Shaking her head in defeat, Jody turned her high beams onto the deserted blacktop, taking her time to wend her way home.  
..................  
Three days had passed without seeing hide nor hair of Donna, but Jody wasn't worried. Her friend was good at making drunken promises that wouldn't come to fruition right away. She expected probably in the next month or so Donna would finally remember and send Sam out to work.

She mulled the pros and cons of hiring help as she climbed the windmill tower to tighten the brake. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't hear the large diesel dually pull up underneath her perch. It wasn't until the tall, muscular driver slammed the door that she looked down. Waving, the stranger shoved his hands into the pockets of his Carhartt, shrugging his shoulders up to his ears to keep the biting wind at bay. Intrigued, Jody began her descent, carefully choosing her foot- and handholds on the slippery steel. She was still six feet off the ground when her boot hit a particularly icy rung, sending her feet out from under her.

"Watch it!" a deep voice growled as strong arms impeded her fall.

Surprised, Jody gaped up at the giant of a man holding her awkwardly in midair. The stranger blushed, setting her down on her feet. "Umm, thanks," she murmured, straightening her ratted hoodie over her frayed overalls. "That could have ended badly."

Nodding, the man stuck out an ungloved hand. "Good thing I was here then." He beamed mischievously. "I'm Sam Winchester, Dean's brother. He said you had some work that needed done?"

Eying him for a moment, Jody accepted his handshake. "Yeah, shit's breaking faster than I can fix it." She paused, wondering what the hell Donna was getting her into. "Do you know how to run a tractor?"

Sam's eyes lit up, and his smile widened. "Lady, I was born on a tractor."

"Good." She smirked back at him as she motioned toward the house. "We just shipped steers off to the sale barn, so the herd's a little smaller. Won't need as much hay to put out." She began walking toward the four wheeler, picking up supplies as she went. "You wanna follow me, I'll show you where everything's at."

"Alright." Sam headed back for his truck - and damn, was that a nice truck - waiting patiently for Jody to get ahead of him.  
........................  
The wintery months came and went like a screaming banshee, with little to no break from the howling winds and freezing temperatures. Already halfway through March, calves were starting to hit the ground, and Jody was thanking her lucky stars for giving her help like Sam.

Both Donna and Dean were utterly surprised that Sam had even stuck around past December.

Of course, they couldn't know the real reason he had stuck around for so long. Jody knew all the shit she'd get from her friends if they found out she and Sam were sharing a bunk.

She had a good thing going, and she wanted to keep it that way for as long as she could without any outside input.

The work and the weather were good for driving any thought other than the task at hand completely from his mind. They were getting on good, and Jody could even feel a connection forming between the two of them, something she hadn't felt since Bobby.

It was well past lunchtime when they finished with the grinding. A heavy cloud of dust and hay floated lazily around the tractors as Jody shut down the bale processor and climbed into the cab to kill the ancient Case. She signaled for Sam to head up to the house while she finished checking over the equipment. Satisfied, she followed him up the drive on foot. As he pulled around the back of the machine shed, Jody kicked off her boots in the pump house and headed into the main house to make them some lunch. she hadn't even gotten out of her coveralls when a knock came at the door.

"Hey, Cas. What can I do for you?" Jody greeted the Deputy Sheriff, inviting him into the spotless mud room.

Castiel removed his sunglasses, smiling at Jody as he dragged his shoes along the boot scraper before entering. "Afternoon, Jody. Just getting in?" he asked, noting her halfway unzipped winter gear.

Looking down quickly, Jody shrugged. "Storm's suppose to be in later this evening. Thought we'd better get shit down before it got here." She led him into the kitchen, pulling out luncheon meat and cheeses from the fridge. "Sandwich?"

Shaking his head, Castiel drew out a barstool, taking a seat across from Jody's busywork. "I heard you hired on Dean Winchester's little brother." It wasn't a question.

Slowly, Jody spread mustard on a slice of bread, choosing her words carefully. "I needed the help. I'm not as young as I use to be, Cas."

Humming knowingly, Cas shifted slightly on the stool, fidgeting with his sunglasses. "I know, Jode. It's just... We got a warrant in. For Sam." Castiel watched Jody like a hawk as she stacked meat onto half of the sandwich. "He's a fugitive, Jody. I need to take him in."

Ignoring Castiel, Jody finished making her meal and pulled a plate from a cabinet. She placed the sandwich squarely in the middle of the chipped dinnerware, grabbed a beer from the fridge, and joined her old partner at the bar. "I don't care what he did, Cas. I can't just let you come in here saying you need to arrest him."

Sitting silently for a moment, Cas pushed back the stool and placed the sunglasses on top of his head. "Listen, the Sheriff's been gunning for Sam for a long time now. A personal vendetta, I reckon." He turned back around to face Jody, his eyes pleading with her. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Keep safe, Jody." He walked out the door, pulling it shut behind him.

Jody stared at the space Cas had occupied for a moment, the cogs turning violently in her head. She had known that Sam had been in and out of trouble since his wife had run off on him, but she didn't know that he was putting himself in jeopardy of going back to jail.

Finishing her sandwich, Jody threw a couple more together for Sam and headed back out, making a beeline for the machine shed. If she knew anything, it was that she didn't need this shit, not when she had finally gotten her life back together after Bobby's passing. It scared her to death, but she knew she was going to have to confront Sam. And, no matter the outcome, she wouldn't allow her feelings for the youngest Winchester to blur her judgement.  
...................  
Sam was squatting underneath the faded green Deere, cutting twine from around the front axel. "Be out in a minute!" he hollered, a ball of shredded red twine flying out from behind the tire.

Jody picked up the wad and tossed it into the bucket near the wall. She laid the paper bag full of sandwiches on the oily workbench and fished the cold beer from the pocket of her coveralls. Leaning up against the large back tire of the tractor, Jody waited patiently for Sam to come out. She didn't have to wait long.

"Hey, you." Sam's eyes twinkled as he straightened up and strode over to her. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her to him, kissing her forehead gently. "What did you bring?" He pulled back, a smile still spread across his face. Seeing the troubled furrow on her brow, Sam faltered. "Everything okay?"

Sidestepping the tractor and Sam, Jody went back to the work bench, fiddling with the sack lunch she had brought out. "Cas stopped by..." she trailed off, swallowing back the sorrow and the anger welling up in her throat.

"What did he want?" His voice was shot with steel, eyes hardening as he approached her.

"You didn't tell me you were on the run." The tension was almost palpable; she couldn't control the hurt in her voice any longer.

Cursing, Sam slammed a fist into the workbench, startling a mouse from behind a toolbox. He watched as the little varmint scampered through the gap between the door and the frame. "What did you tell him?"

Numbly, Jody laid out the sandwiches, cracking open the beer with the stationary bottle opener screwed into the side of the table. "I told him to leave," she said simply.

Exhaling sharply, Sam hung his head, scrubbing at the back of his neck with a greasy hand. "Listen, Jody-"

"No, you listen. I took you in," she snapped, drawing herself up to her full height. "I've risked everything having you here. Hell, I even invited you into my bed, Sam! The least you could do was tell me you had a warrant."

Shame faced, Sam leaned back onto the bench, eyes glued to a spot on the floor in front of him. "I-I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Jody. I thought I'd be safe here for a little while, that the whole thing would blow over." He gazed back up at her, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. "I don't want to cause you any trouble. I'll finish up chores before I go."

Jody stared at him, stunned. "Go?" she repeated, her voice small and weak in her ears. "That's not what I'm saying, Sam-"

Sam shook his head. "No, it's better if I leave. They can't do anything to you if I'm not here."

"But Sam..."

"No buts." He finished off the last of his beer, folding the paper bag neatly into a smaller rectangle. "I need to finish up feeding the bulls." Avoiding her eyes, he walked toward the wicket gate, pausing before he opened it. "I won't forget what you've done for me." With that, he exited, leaving only the bitter March wind in his place.

"I love you, Sam Winchester," she muttered, pulling the door closed behind her as she watched him unhook the Case from the processor. In her heart, she knew he had to leave, but she didn't like it. Maybe one day he'd be able to stop running.

And just maybe she'd be there, waiting for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts: The Devil's Backbone by The Civil Wars & Farm/Country AU


End file.
